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Sparrows, Sir," returned the lad, in breathlefs hurry. Catching Sparrows!" repeated the good Steward." Philofophers, catching Sparrows! That is doing fome good with their learning, indeed! If they had begun to this work fooner, the early corn in the South field would have been the better for it !"

As my mind has not yet been fufficiently contaminated by the practices of Chriftians, to take pleasure in beholding mifery inflicted upon any part of the animated creation, I haftened from this cruel fcene, and took refuge in my own apartment. After fome time spent in meditating on the cruel difpofitions of Europeans, and in performing poojah to the benignant Dewtah of our fathers. -I defcended, to pay my respects to Mifs Ardent, whofe voice I heard in the Hall. "How happy it is, that you have returned to-night!" exclaimed the, on perceiving me. You have come in time, to aflift at the moft wonderful of all difcoveries! What will your friends in India think, when you tell them, that fparrows may be changed into honeybees?"

It is a fubject, on which none of my friends could poffibly entertain a doubt, returned I; the tranfmigration of foul,

from body to body, is evidently neceffary for its purification.It is the doctrine of the Vedas-and its authority is unqueftionable. "But the change I speak of, has nothing to do with the doctrine of tranfmigration," rejoined Mifs Ardent. « Our fparrows are ftill to continue good and real fparrows: it is only their instincts, that are to undergo a change, from the power of external circumftances.. So young Sceptic" declared this morning at breakfast, and my brother, whose imagination takes fire at every new idea, declared inftantly, that the experiment fhould be made. It is true," continued Mifs Ardent, "this theory is not confined to sparrows

"

The reasoning faculties, of which we, poor two-legged animals are fo proud and the various inftincts, which mark each tribe of the brute creation, all equally originate in a combination of external circumftances. And, according to the arguments of the young philofopher, I fee no reafon, why, by a proper courfe of education, a monkey may not be a Minifter of State, or a goofe, Lord Chancellor, of England."

Here a ftop was put to our converfation, by the entrance of the gentlemen each of whom was fo full of his deeds of prowefs, in the engagement with the fparrows, that he could talk of nothing

elfe. One hundred fparrows, were already taken prifoners:-but as this was only one third of the number declared neceffary to form a hive, a reward was offered by the Baronet, for each live fparrow that should be brought to the Hall in the courfe of the fucceeding day: --a measure which was crowned with fuch fuccefs, that, before fun-fet on the following evening, the number was declared complete.

Another tedious day elapfed, before the hut deftined for their future refidence, could be finished; this was made exactly after the model of those of the domeftic bees, which in this country, are built of ftraw, made into fmall bundles, and bound together by the fibres of an aquatic plant. This hut, or hive, as it is called, bore the fame proportion, to its model, as the fize of a fparrow does to that of a bee; it was furnished with crofs fticks for the fupport of the combs, and that the fparrows might have no apology for not beginning immediately to work, great care was taken that no convenience usually afforded to the bees, should he wanting. After undergoing a careful examination by the philofophers, this huge-fparrow-hive was placed upon 2 platform, that had been reared for its reception; and the fparrows having been

brought in baskets to the spot, Sir Caprice Ardent, in presence of all the philofophers, with his own hand, pair by pair, depofited them in their new abode. The apparent fatisfaction with which they entered their hive, gave fuch a convincing proof of the power of external circumftances, as already rendered Sir Caprice a complete convert to the fyftem. At the conclufion of the ceremony, he cordially fhook hands with the young philofopher, and requesting the reft of the party would excufe him for the evening, he retired to his ftudy, to begin a journal of thefe important proceedings, with which he intended to illuminate the world.

At the firft indication of the dawn of morning, I went, as is my conftant practice, to the river fide, and after the performance of the accuftomary poojah, and having bathed in the refreshing ftream, I ftrolled into that part of the garden, where the honey-making fparrows were placed.

It was at an hour when my meditations have here never been disturbed by the appearance of a fellow mortal. Judge then of my furprife, at beholding the Baronet, who, wrapped in his nightrobes, ftood at the fide of the new erected hut, liftening with eager ears, to catch the first found that fhould emanate from

its precincts-on perceiving me, he made the fignal of filence, and then beckoning me to approach- enquired in a foft whisper, whether I did not hear the fparrows hum? I told him, that I did indeed hear a humming noife; but believed, that it proceeded from a folitary bee, which was hovering over the adjoining fhrubs. Chagrined at my dif covery, the Baronet turned from nie, in difpleasure, and went into the house.

Many, were the vifits, which, in the courfe of this day, were made to the new hive. It was foon difcovered, that the fparrows had been fo far impelled by the preffure of existing circumftances, as to go abroad in the morning, in queft of neceffary food; and it was hoped by the philofophers, that, as is the cuftom of bees, they would return before the decline of day, to depofit their yellow spoils. But alas! fallacious is the hope of mortals! The fhades of evening arrived, and night fucceeded, fpreading her dark mantle over the face of Nature, but not a fparrow appeared!

Mifs Ardent, whofe knowledge extends to all the particulars of rural economy, on perceiving the vexation of her brother, fuggefted the idea, that the sparrows had probably swarmed on fome tree in the neighbourhood, where they might

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